


Revolution

by syredronning



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-29
Updated: 2010-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-14 05:03:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/145661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syredronning/pseuds/syredronning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In every revolution, there's one woman with a mission. Or: Nothing changes without people pushing for change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revolution

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhi/gifts).



> The story is an AU diverging from canon after the episode "Rejoined". Thanks to eponymous_rose for the wonderful beta! All remaining errors are mine :)

Jadzia Dax hadn't intended to start a revolution.

She had only wanted to stay with the one person she loved more than she loved her people, her planet, and her vow to protect the Dax symbiont.

When Lenara hadn't left after their kiss, hadn't given in to the pressure from her brother and their society, she hadn't known it would change so much more than just two lives.

Oh, they hadn't lasted forever; what had looked like eternal love ran dry after seventy-eight years, just as many relationships would. A little short, maybe, for a relationship that had gotten them ostracized from their society and their symbionts sentenced to premature death. On the other hand, there was no longer the need to stay together just because of outside pressure.

She put one hand on her belly with a smile; as of today, Dax wouldn't die with her.

Curzon would be proud.

* * *  
 _Abstract from the article on "Reassociation – Trill" from the **Unofficial Federation Annals, the ongoing project to collect and make widely known the more obscure facets of life on other planets**. Validity checked but never guaranteed. _

For the longest time in Trill history, Reassociation was not the subject of legal consideration. In fact, the idea that joined Trills should not spend as many lives as possible together would have been unthinkable.

After the advent of the first successful joining, which took place in the year 0 (Trill calendar) in Mak'ala, the second-largest city in the ancient kingdom of Manra, joined individuals soon formed the highest levels of society. Within two hundred years, the kingdom turned into an oligarchy of joined Trills, soon spreading to neighboring countries. In 362 z.z. (za'zih, years after first joining), the whole continent was united and ruled by a council of joined Trill.

Considered almost mystical beings by common people, two of them together were seen as optimal match. The death of a host usually didn't end that. Often a dying joined Trill would help select the next host that would fit optimally into the already existing family, thus ensuring that offspring would be protected. This strategy also decreased the tensions traditionally arising between step children and their new parent. It was not uncommon that joined trills remained married over the course of four hosts, as the saga of Galn and Gaht from before the Great Earthquake proved.

By 687 z.z., this strategy resulted in the formation of only 297 families called the Han'edda, each centered around one joined couple, that ruled the four Trill continents. In the heyday of the Han'edda era, the fate of each Trill was defined by its heritage. If the individual sprang from a bond of joined Trills, it was considered for a joining. Granting of join rights was then given based on the results of physiological tests and rank within the family, often influenced by political considerations. If the individual was given birth by a common, unjoined Trill, then chances for a joining – and thus for anything resembling a career in politics, army or science – was minimal. Only very few Trills born of common bonds were joined outside of emergency situations.

In the event of one of the core symbionts dying (joinings beyond six times were still rare then), a new symbiont would be found, renamed and included so that the old family name was kept. This practice often lead to confusion about Trill time lines, as many books and papers were dated by giving the family context and thus may cover a range from 187 up to 625 Trill years of events.

By 1020 z.z., the number of symbiont-based families had grown to 1300, as more symbionts could be hedged and joined. Due to this, the strict order of the Han'edda was lifted and joining of common Trills took place more often.

After the first contact with other species in 1320 z.z., the philosophical idea of democracy and same rights for all was formulated, which stood in strong contrast to the natural order on Trill, where _joined_ and _unjoined_ had become the main distinguishing mark. (Gender conflicts are still known among unjoined Trills, but for joined Trills, gender usually becomes a moot point after three hosts.)

For a while, treatises elaborating on the revolutionary concept of what is known as _fraternity, egality, liberté_ on Earth were ignored, then forbidden due to concerns about civil uproars. By then, however, the democratic forces had strengthened and the majority of citizens (formed by unjoined Trills) claimed their right to participate equally in all matters of society and politics.

After the unusually bloody Revolution of 1402-1410 z.z., the oligarchy was officially replaced by an elected, planet-wide Council and the newfound Symbiosis Commission was put in control of the assignment of symbionts. From here on, they would be allocated solely based on the achievements of each single candidate, and distributed fairly between sexes and continents without consideration of heritage.

To prevent the return of the outdated family structure, a number of laws were passed, one of them against Reassociation; joined Trills were thereby forbidden from interacting with the family and friends of the former host, including children and spouses. After its ratification in 1414 z.z., couples of Trills joined beyond one lifetime of the hosts were forcefully separated, leading to many tragic scenes in those families that had already suffered the most during the Revolution. More than a thousand joined Trills who repeatedly violated the Reassociation law were sentenced to _rebirth_ (the death of the current host). The symbiont was then rejoined with a new host from a common family. In fact, the tendency to favor candidates that have no joined relatives of at least third degrees of separation is still apparent in leaked joining statistics, although the Symbiosis Commission denies this to be part of the selection process.

By 1496 z.z., the former nobility on Trill was diminished to a tenth of its former number, with many intellectuals, artists and scientists absent from society as their new hosts took other paths. Symbionts whose hosts repeatedly showed illegal tendencies were sorted out; in general, a higher than usual number of new symbionts was raised and joined.

For almost 400 years, the Reassociation law remained undisputed and turned into an unquestioned taboo, until 1889 z.z., when Jadzia Dax and Lenara Khan officially reassociated after meeting over a joined science project. The verdict of ostracism was issued immediately, with no possibility of redemption. Instead of keeping quiet about this as other Trills banished based on this law did (only 19 cases in the years 1800-1890 z.z.), and as Trill society expected of them, they did not withdraw from the public eye to hide in shame. In contrary, they began a quadrant-wide campaign to highlight what they considered a violation of the rights of sentient beings.

Beginning in 1890 z.z. they started publishing a series of papers about the Reassociation law in the context of Federation legislature and the ideal of personal freedom, with many high-ranking politicians and philosophers of others worlds contributing. Around their household on Bajor, a group of international supporters and exiled Trill dissidents congregated, many of them reassociated couples or joined Trills who had suffered under this law. The continuous campaigning of the group led to a first success in 1917 z.z., when the Federation Council declared the Reassociation law in its current form to be irreconcilable with the basic rights guaranteed to all citizens in the Federation. This brought the topic into the awareness of other interplanetary civil rights groups, much to the dislike of the Trill Council. Their subsequent attempts to pressure the Bajoran government into reprisals against the dissident group and extradition of Dax and Khan, however, were summarily dismissed by Bajor, leading to years of political tension between these two planets.

On Trill, the majority of the joined population still remained largely averse to discussing the subject until 1935 z.z., when the Council Leader herself was found to have secretly reassociated with her former husband's symbiont.

The subsequent public discussion warred for decades until an ultimatum was issued by the Federation Council, stating that the planet Trill needed to change the law or it would be nullified by 1967 z.z. With more and more Trills admitting to having committed Reassociation, among them well-known scientists, influential industry leaders, and even a member of the Symbiosis Commission, general opinion on the subject changed. In current polls, the majority of both joined and unjoined Trills agree that Reassociation should be an option, though no consent could be found on the details. The concern most often formulated is that the ideal of exploring diversity by joining varied hosts would be violated, sentencing a symbiont to limited experiences.

The bill debated in the Council as of 1966 z.z. tries to appease that concern. It proposes to condone Reassociation under the following conditions: Joined Trills with symbionts beyond five joinings can choose freely to reassociate. All other cases have to appeal to a commission formed by members of the Symbiosis Commission and the Council.

This need to appeal has been strongly criticized by pro-Reassociation groups, as this process could last for many years with unclear results, throwing the surviving host and hir dependants into an existential crisis. It is still assumed that the Council will pass the new law in its last plenary assembly this year.

* * *

There's a sudden movement in the waiting hall, and Jadzia looks away from the large screen where the voting results are about to get published to see a group of friends and fellow campaigners approaching.

"Lenara!" She gets up to kiss her ex left and right on her spotted cheeks. They might not be a couple any longer, but their friendship remains and will for as long as their symbionts are rejoined.

"Jadzia, beloved," Lenara says softly, before gazing at the screen. "I can't believe how nervous I am, although I'm so sure they'll vote in favor of the new law."

"Which is still far from what we tried to achieve," Jont Tan, the young Trill next to her quips, holding hands with her reassociated partner. "So many restrictions…"

"It's a big step forward," Jadzia says. "Change doesn't come overnight – there's always work left to do." She inhales sharply as the votes appear – 412 versus 309 for the new law, fewer pro votes than they'd hoped for. However, the only thing that counts is that it has passed at all.

"Wonderful!" she exclaims and embraces her ex before hugging other ecstatic friends. Reporters appear, holding up tiny sound recorders.

"How does it feel to make Trill history?" someone asks.

Jadzia smiles, lacing her hand with Lenara's. "What can I say? We never intended to start a revolution, but I'm glad we did."


End file.
